GOLFO DEI POETI - CINQUE TERRE CRUISE TERMINAL PORT OF LA SPEZIA WITH ITALY ALL-AROUND PORT OF LA SPEZIA LA SPEZIA: A NEW OPPORTUNITY FOR MEDITERRANEAN CRUISES La Spezia is located in Liguria and is the capital city of a province blessed Port Authority made the decision to embark upon a number of ambitious by its position at the centre of one of the deepest and best protected projects, which started some years ago with a contest for ideas for the re - natural harbours on the Italian coast, in a rich and diverse area. The area design/rezoning of the waterfront. The new quay for cruise ships is at an offers natural, cultural, wine and gastronomical activities which can satisfy advanced stage and work is also taking place on the new sea station. the expectations and tastes of even the most demanding traveller. When both structures will be completed, La Spezia’s quays will be able to simultaneously host two big vessels. The wonders of the area’s natural surroundings include: the Cinque Terre National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; the Regional Nature Park of However, starting from 2013, these ships may count on a dedicated Porto Venere, which includes the Palmaria islands, Tino and Tinetto and the mooring in the commercial port, the western quay of the Garibaldi pier and Protected Marine Area; and the Montemarcello-Magra Regional Nature a terminal for the reception of passengers. Park. The Val di Magra, Val di Vara and Lunigiana are green oases with a scattering of small towns and medieval villages: Sarzana with its antiques The new wharf will be an extended triangular-shaped island with two shops and markets; Varese Ligure, the high temple of opera and Pontremoli, quays, 393 and 339 metres in length, equipped with power supply systems the “Bookshop City”. A glorious past re-emerges at the archaeological site (shore supply). Located in the middle of the wharf, the sea station, used for of Luni, at the foot of the Apuan Alps, famous throughout the world for the passenger embarkation/disembarkation, will also house businesses and white marble quarries of Carrara, which are also within easy reach. The services which will function throughout the year and will be built using “Golfo dei Poeti” (Gulf of the Poets) has, throughout the centuries, attracted eco-compatible structural elements and environmentally sustainable design notable writers and poets: from Mary and Percy Shelley, Lord Byron and solutions. D.H. Lawrence through to Marinetti, Pavese and Sereni. The new terminal will be designed to fit in completely with the rest of the Convenient ferries make it possible to travel quickly from the waterfront waterfront and the town centre. It will thus be much easier in the future for of La Spezia to the beaches and cliffs of Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, cruise passengers to mix in with the locals and experience the atmosphere Vernazza, Monterosso, Porto Venere (also a UNESCO World Heritage Site), of a small but lively and interesting Mediterranean city. the isles of the archipelago and Lerici, another charming pearl of the Gulf, with its medieval castle, now a museum. Not far away lie the most important SEE YOU SOON IN LA SPEZIA! centres of Italian art: Pisa, Florence, Lucca, Parma and Genoa are all about an hour away while Versilia, Forte dei Marmi and Portofino can all be reached in just over half an hour. But the cultural heritage of La Spezia itself is also rich and original: the “U. Formentini” Archaeological Museum, the “Amedeo Lia” Museum of ancient and modern art, the Centre for Modern and Contemporary Art, the Naval Technical Museum, the “Museo del Sigillo” (museum of the seal), the Ethnographic Museum and the Diocesan Museum are all concentrated together in the old town with its Liberty mansions, shops, bars, markets, pedestrian routes, nineteenth-century gardens and promenade. PORT OF LA SPEZIA Not to forget the Military Arsenal, inaugurated in 1869. Convinced of the strength of these attractions, and in the certainty that La Spezia may justly present itself as a candidate for a front-line role in the cruise sector, the GOLFO DEI POETI - CINQUE TERRE CRUISE TERMINAL PORT OF LA SPEZIA WITH ITALY ALL-AROUND MARANELLO PARMA FLORENCE GENOA LUCCA PORTOFINO CINQUE SARZANA TERRE PORTO CARRARA VENERE LERICI PISA LA SPEZIA APPENNINO TOSCO-EMILIANO NATIONAL PARK FRIGNANO REGIONAL PARK CENTO LAGHI PARK ALPI APUANE REGIONAL PARK MONTEMARCELLO-MAGRA PORTO VENERE REGIONAL NATURAL PARK REGIONAL NATURAL PARK CINQUE TERRE LA SPEZIA NATIONAL PARK AND PROTECTED MARINE AREA GOLFO DEI POETI - CINQUE TERRE CRUISE TERMINAL PORT OF LA SPEZIA WITH ITALY ALL-AROUND LA SPEZIA At the head of a wonderful gulf beloved by poets and statesmen – among these Napoleone the emperor – La Spezia is the second centre in the Liguria region after Genoa. It is one of the main Italian military and commercial harbours, important for its museums, the biennial Festa della Marineria, the traditional Palio del Golfo, as well as for the railway and boat links with Cinque Terre. It experienced extraordinary development after 1861 when the great Arsenal of the Royal Navy was built here. After the extensive damage suffered by the city during the World War II, its port became the point of departure for the survivors of the Nazi camps, so many that on Israeli maps La Spezia is called the Door to Zion. 8 GOLFO DEI POETI - CINQUE TERRE CRUISE TERMINAL PORT OF LA SPEZIA - WITH ITALY ALL-AROUND 9 The Ligurian influence is Of great interest is the still visible in the urban Castle of San Giorgio layout of the city as well that hosts important as in the types of archaeological buildings and collections dating from decorations. It can be stelae statues, belonging seen by going along the to the Copper and Iron carrugio, the narrow Ages, to findings from street dividing the Old the ancient Roman Town into two, called Via colony of Luni. del Prione, taking its You should see the name from a large stone, Amedeo Lia Museum in local dialect in fact of ancient, medieval and In Sant'Agostino Square, prione, from where modern art, and the in the heart of the Old public announcements Technical Naval Museum, Town, you can enjoy a were read. hosted in the great cappuccino and Arsenal of the Italian croissant in front of the Navy. noble building where Virginia Oldoini, the divine Countess of Castiglione, lived. Walking in the streets of La Spezia you can taste Focaccia, a traditional Ligurian baked bread, and Farinata, a sort of thin, unleavened crêpe of chickpea flour. A real treat for the palate is tasting them together: in many pizzerias the Farinata is served also stuffed into Focaccia. 10 GOLFO DEI POETI - CINQUE TERRE CRUISE TERMINAL PORT OF LA SPEZIA - WITH ITALY ALL-AROUND 11 The Palio del Golfo has its roots in the maritime culture of the people of this area and takes place every year on the first Sunday of August in the waters off the promenade of La Spezia. It is primarily a rowing contest between thirteen boats – each one under the colors of a different sea village of the Gulf – handmade by local artisans with unique features that make them faster and more agile. The Festa della Marineria is an important biennial event that takes place in La Spezia, dedicated to the culture of the sea in all its aspects. The festival – whose first edition was organized in 2009 – lasts four days in its classic format and offers a great program, all right in front of the sea and just a few meters from the center of the town. The 2013 edition included the great Tall Ships Regatta as the main attraction. United Nations Porto Venere, Cinque Terre CINQUE TERRE Educational, Scientific and and the Islands Cultural Organization Site inscribed on the World Heritage List on 1997 Over the centuries, people have carefully built terraces on the rugged, steep landscape right up to the cliffs that overlook the sea. Paths, trains and boats connect five villages, and cars cannot reach them from the outside. In our times the Cinque Terre (Five Lands), a sharp portion of coast on the Italian Riviera west of the city of La Spezia, are well-known worldwide and are a popular tourist destination. The coastline, the five villages – Riomaggiore, Manarola, Corniglia, Vernazza and Monterosso – and the surrounding hillsides are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park and, together with Porto Venere and the Islands of its archipelago, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. In 1998, the Italian Ministry for the Environment set up a protected natural Marine Area here to protect the natural environment and to promote socio-economical development compatible with the natural landscape of the area. Have you ever heard of a rare and precious wine curiously called Sciachetrà? It is a sweet wine, produced only here in very small quantities and is a trading symbol of these lands, made from the fermentation of grapes left to dry on trellises under the sun. The grapes of the Cinque Terre are used to produce two locally made wines: the Sciachetrà and the eponymous white Cinque Terre, both made using Bosco, Albarola, and Vermentino grapes. These wines – together with Grappa and Limoncello – are produced by the Cooperativa Agricoltura delle Cinque Terre and other DOC producers. The trail connecting Riomaggiore to Manarola is called the Via dell'Amore (Love Path). It is a protected path, overlooking the sea and wheelchair-friendly. The stretch from Manarola to Corniglia is the easiest to hike, although it finishes with a climb of 368 steps. 16 GOLFO DEI POETI - CINQUE TERRE CRUISE TERMINAL PORT OF LA SPEZIA - WITH ITALY ALL-AROUND 17 On the table of the five coastal villages you can taste the typical dishes of the Ligurian cuisine: the Genovese Pasta al Pesto and especially the fish dishes, with some local specialties such as the famous anchovies from Monterosso.